Biblioteca pública entre medianeras en el Ensanche de Valencia

Se plantea el proyecto de una biblioteca como un edificio de carácter público, un elemento de contacto directo con la ciudad, con el espacio que la rodea y sus habitantes. ¿Qué relación podemos establecer entre la ciudad y el ciudadano, entre el edificio y el usuario? Una biblioteca es un centro de relación cultural, social y de ocio. Es el lugar donde se guarda el saber, el espacio que éste ocupa, y donde se accede a él. Debe, por tanto, poder satisfacer al mayor número de usuarios posible mediante la diversidad de los elementos que ofrece, desde espacios de lectura, audición y visualización de música y vídeos, áreas de estudio, zonas infantiles…Rodriguez Sanchez, AJ. (2013). Biblioteca pública entre medianeras en el Ensanche de Valencia. http://hdl.handle.net/10251/67568.Archivo delegad

Multiplexed target enrichment of coding and non-coding transcriptomes enables studying Candida spp. infections from human derived samples

The study of transcriptomic interactions between host and pathogens in in vivo conditions is challenged by the low relative amounts of the pathogen RNA. Yeast opportunistic pathogens of the genus Candida can cause life-threatening systemic infections in immunocompromised patients, and are of growing medical concern. Four phylogenetically diverse species account for over 90% of Candida infections, and their specific interactions with various human tissues are still poorly understood. To enable in vivo transcriptomic analysis in these species, we designed and validated pan-Candida target capture probes to enrich protein-coding and non-coding transcriptomes. The probe-based enrichment approach outperformed enrichment based on differential lysis of host cells, and showed similar enrichment performance as an existing capture design, yet achieving better fidelity of expression levels, enabling species multiplexing and capturing of lncRNAs. In addition, we show that our probe-based enrichment strategy allows robust genotype-based identification of the infecting strain present in the sample.TG group acknowledges support from the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation for grants ‘Centro de Excelencia Severo Ochoa’ and PGC2018-099921-B-I00, cofounded by European Regional Development Fund (ERDF); from the CERCA Programme/Generalitat de Catalunya; from the Catalan Research Agency (AGAUR) SGR423, and grants from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the grant agreement ERC-2016-724173, and the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 642095. The group also receives support from an INB Grant (PT17/0009/0023 - ISCIII-SGEFI/ERDF). AR was also supported by the Marie Sklodowska-Curie grant agreement No. 642095.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Evaluation of a dehumidifier in a mild weather greenhouse

The high humidity that surrounds crop plants, aggravated in mild weather greenhouses by high transpiration and lack of ventilation, encourages plant diseases and physiological disorders. A heat pump dehumidifier (HPD) has been installed in a mild weather greenhouse. Its development and the characteristics of the dehumidification process have been studied. The results indicate that the HPD reduced the risk of crop damage caused by humidity. Its effectiveness was related to the temperature value and the air humidity inside the greenhouse. HPD operation was not suitable under dry weather conditions. Conversely, when humidity was excessive, the HPD did not eliminate the risk of moisture damage. The appropiate conditions for using an HPD to eliminate humidity damage risk are relative humidity between 84% and 88%, and air temperature higher than 15.0 °C. Under these conditions, the condensed steam production value was 14.2 kg h−1, the specific moisture extraction rate was 2.3 kg (kW h−1), and the coefficient of performance was 2.5

Inflammatory biomarkers and brain health indicators in children with overweight and obesity: The ActiveBrains project

INTRODUCTION: Chronic inflammation plays an important role on the pathogenesis of several cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, as well as on brain function and behaviour. The aim of the present study was to examine the associations between inflammatory biomarkers and a wide range of brain health indicators (i.e., academic performance, executive function, behavioural and emotional functioning, and brain volume) in children with overweight/obesity. METHODS: A total of 107 children (10.0 ± 1.1 years, 41% girls) from the ActiveBrains project were included in the analysis. Five inflammatory biomarkers were analysed in plasma: white blood cell (WBC) count, interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-1beta, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), and C-reactive protein (CRP). Academic performance was assessed by Woodcock-Munoz Tests of Achievement. Executive function was assessed through the Design Fluency Test for cognitive flexibility, the Stroop test for cognitive inhibition, and the Delayed Non-Match-to-Sample task for working memory. Behavioural and emotional functioning was evaluated through the Behavior Assessment System for Children (BASC) questionnaire. Total and regional brain volume was assessed by magnetic resonance imaging. RESULTS: IL-6 was inversely associated with adaptive skills (beta = -0.228; p = 0.030), while TNF-alpha was related to mathematics (beta = -0.198; p = 0.034). In addition, CRP was positively associated with externalizing (beta = 0.246; p = 0.046) and internalizing problems (beta = 0.234; p = 0.039), as well as the behavioural symptoms index (beta = 0.236; p = 0.047). However, these significant associations disappeared after multiple comparisons correction. Inflammatory biomarkers were not associated with executive function and total brain volumes. Regarding regional brain analyses, WBC was positively associated with gray matter volume in the left middle temporal gyrus (beta = 0.387; p < 0.001, k = 44), and CRP was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right superior temporal gyrus (beta = 0.439; p < 0.001, k = 29). Additionally, when adjusting by total brain volume, CRP was positively associated with gray matter volume in the right supplementary motor cortex (beta = 0.453; p < 0.001, k = 51). Moreover, both, IL-6 (beta = 0.366; p < 0.001, k = 81) and TNF-alpha (beta = 0.368; p < 0.001, k = 62) were positively associated with white matter volume around the right inferior frontal gyrus pars opercularis, while CRP was inversely associated with white matter volume around the left superior frontal gyrus (beta = -0.482; p < 0.001, k = 82). After adjusting by total brain volume, CRP was also inversely associated with white matter volume in 3 additional clusters (beta ranging from -0.473 to -0.404; p < 0.001, k = 87). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation was slightly associated with brain health (i.e., academic performance, behavioural and emotional functioning and regional brain volume) in children with overweight or obesity. Further larger longitudinal and interventional studies are warranted to elucidate the short-term and long-term effect of systemic low-grade inflammation on children's brain health

Empirical Wavelet Transform-based Detection of Anomalies in ULF Geomagnetic Signals Associated to Seismic Events with a Fuzzy Logic-based System for Automatic Diagnosis

Owing to the relevance and severity of damages caused by earthquakes (EQs), the development and application of new methods for seismic activity detection that offer an efficient and reliable diagnosis in terms of processing and performance are still demanding tasks. In this work, the application of the Empirical Wavelet Transform (EWT) for seismic detection in ultra-low-frequency (ULF) geomagnetic signals is presented. For this, several ULF signals associated to seismic activities and random calm periods are analysed. These signals have been obtained through a tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer at the Juriquilla station localized in Queretaro, Mexico, longitude -100.45° N and latitude 20.70°E. In order to show the advantages of the proposal, a comparison with the discrete wavelet transform (DWT) is presented. The results shown a better detection capability of seismic signals before, during, and after the main shock than the ones obtained by the DWT, which makes the proposal a more suitable and reliable tool for this task. Finally, a fuzzy logic (FL)-based system for automatic diagnosis using the variance of the EWT outputs for the tri-axial fluxgate magnetometer signals is also proposed

Evaluation of an Adapted Greenhouse Cooling System with Pre-Chamber and Inflatable Air Ducts for Semi-Arid Regions in Warm Conditions

The growing needs for fruit and vegetable production, together with the current climate change situation, make agriculture under plastic and greenhouse cooling indispensable. The most commonly used approaches are natural ventilation, shading and fan-pad systems. To foster a climate that allows forplant production under cover in extreme conditions, a novel fan-pad system has been devised that incorporates a pre-chamber and an air distribution system using air ducts running alongside the crop rows. The system has been tested in a greenhouse in Almeria (Spain) during the daytime in August, when the weather was hotter. Tests were also carried out in combination with natural ventilation and shading. The results indicate that the fan-pad system was efficient under extreme weather conditions and that it avoided creating horizontal thermal gradients. By determining the theoretical value of the air temperature leaving the pad, we were able to estimate the evaporative cooling potential of the fan-pad system as a function of the outdoor climate. Under extreme conditions, the fan-pad system’s efficiency decreased along with increased air temperature and, above all, the increased relative humidity of the outside air. When the outdoor climate is warm and humid, natural ventilation may be the most efficient temperature control method. If the outdoor climate is warm and dry, the evaporative pad is more effective, especially when combined with shading

Investigación en metodologías de aprendizaje para grupos ARA en la materia de arquitectura de computadores

La enseñanza en inglés es uno de los retos a los que se está enfrentando actualmente la universidad española. La Universidad de Alicante ofrece a través de los grupos de Alto Rendimiento Académico (ARA) parte de la docencia de los estudios de grado en inglés. El objetivo principal de esta red es la de consolidar y ampliar la investigación realizada en metodologías de aprendizaje para grupos ARA en la materia de arquitectura de computadores. En consecuencia, se pretende ampliar los materiales docentes en inglés en relación con la enseñanza de asignaturas relacionadas con la materia en estos grupos de alto rendimiento. Estas asignaturas son impartidas por varios miembros de la red en diferentes cursos de los Grados de Ingeniería Informática y de Ingeniería en Sonido e Imagen en Telecomunicación. Como caso práctico, se ha continuado con la investigación en la asignatura Arquitectura de Computadores del Grado de Ingeniería Informática. Para ello, se han elaborado nuevos materiales para prácticas que permiten la participación activa y el trabajo en equipo. Cada uno de los materiales propuestos está diseñado dentro del marco metodológico implementado en la asignatura, relacionado con la consecución de objetivos y competencias, y con la evaluación de la misma

La Web Semántica Como Herramienta para el Apoyo a la Docencia

La web semántica consiste en un nuevo paradigma web para acceder, buscar, compartir y gestionar información a través de la combinación de tecnologías y de estructuras de gestión del conocimiento. El concepto de web semántica proporciona herramientas para el almacenamiento, intercambio y consulta de esta información mediante el desarrollo y la inclusión de metadatos y ontologías del cuerpo de conocimiento. La estructura de los datos que proporciona permite que sea consultada automáticamente por usuarios humanos o sistemas informáticos, mejorando su interoperabilidad. El desarrollo de la web semántica supone una evolución del desarrollo web en general hacia una web más inteligente o web 3.0. Este paradigma puede ser aprovechado en los procesos de docencia-aprendizaje para estructurar, almacenar y compartir los contenidos mediante sistemas automáticos de consultas alojados en web semánticas que tratan sobre los cuerpos de conocimiento de las materias. La disciplina informática es especialmente adecuada para este propósito debido a su complejidad y a la gran variedad de términos que maneja. Por otra parte, su desarrollo en continua evolución propicia la implantación de mecanismos automáticos de mantenimiento y de actualización de los nuevos contenidos